Bartlett Lodge (**1/2) is Algonquin Park’s best kept secret and serves designer food at discount prices.

The experience begins on the dock of Algonquin’s Cache Lake as guests await the arrival of the wooden freighter canoe that delivers them to the rustic pine lodge. An ever-changing five course menu ($54) caters to locavores. An amber stroke of maple syrup under a thin disk of eggy French toast balances a mousse of lightly smoked rainbow trout, tiny flecks of which add weight and texture to the playful amuse bouche.

Lake-like in its pooling around an island of slow-braised Kurobuta pork belly, mild curry soup maintains textural traces of its green apple beginnings and finishes with slight heat. Crispy-skinned and candy-like, the rendered swine adds richness while the puree lends flavours of cumin and turmeric to the lightly seasoned meat.

Grilled beef tenderloin, ordered medium-rare, arrives overcooked yet moist and nearly fork-tender. Perched atop a cliff of nutty brown-butter mashed and decorated with tempura shallots, its small twists like these from Chef Sarah Allen that make common pairings special. A pinecone-size scoop of airy yet concentrated gorgonzola foam melts on contact with the meat’s soft flesh, adding necessary pungent flavour to the mild cut. Crackling-skinned rainbow trout needs a re-think. Ripe tomato concasse does its best to punch up the subtle fish though it still comes off as one dimensional. Accompanying mixed mushrooms and duck fat roasted potatoes add little. Allen redeems herself with generous pieces of tender-braised sweet rabbit, stuffed into al dente ravioli rounds with a small dollop of tart goat cheese. Served on a mound of charred red peppers, grilled shitakes and thin chickpea puree, the simple flavours show masterful restraint.

Desserts satisfy both fruit and chocolate cravings. A thin layer of burnt sugar reveals fudge-like chocolate and chili crème brule, its lingering cayenne mellowed by sour raspberry sorbet and crunchy vanilla tuile. Silky orange ice cream melts slowly over crumbly and dense flourless chocolate cake. A savoury ribbon of mascarpone drizzle prevents diabetic shock. Not licensed; patrons are encouraged to bring their own wine. Reservations recommended. $145 (not including wine)

• Algonquin Park, Huntsville, Ontario
• 705.633.5543
• Open May to October

Originally published in Toronto Life